A 150,000 tonne waste composter is it be built in Northwich - but developers must adhere to conditions to make it a good neighbour.

Organic Waste Management Limited's controversial in-vessel composting plant at Lostock Works, off Griffiths Road, was given the green light by members of Cheshire County Council's Development Regulatory Committee, with planning chiefs saying it would help meet targets to divert waste away from landfill sites.

But strict conditions ascertaining to vehicle numbers, hours of use, the type of materials to be recycled and noise were imposed. Developers must also prevent dust during the construction phase, not store waste or compost out-side the site, put in landscaping and have a land contamination strategy in place.

Cllr George Mainwaring, who highlighted residents' concerns about the project, said: 'We had quite a few letters from residents concerned about odour, noise and traffic. The case officer said they could live with that, but I am concerned that the nearest house to the site is 200m away, and we are dealing with unproven technology.

'And if you look at traffic and add in the construction traffic to the gas plants at Byley and now at Lach Dennis, an extra 200 vehicles a day rumbling around the area seems a conservative estimate.' Cllr Mainwaring said he had been in touch with highways engineers and hoped a speed restriction could be put in place around the area while construction work took place.

Jean Groom, chairwoman of Rudheath Parish Council, said the project was the right idea in the wrong location, and called for traffic lights to help cope with the extra vehicles on the roads.

She said: Rudheath is gridlocked every morning as it is anyway. We need a set of traffic lights, either at the bottom of Broken Cross bridge or on the roundabout with the A556.'

Cllr Mainwaring added that he was concerned that residents may accept the composter as the 'lesser of two evils', with many believing that an incinerator at the Lostock site would now not be needed. That, he claims, is not necessarily the case.